Some Kids Hurt Themselves
By now, you can see that some ways of handling stress are better for you than others. Sadly, some kids said they hurt themselves when they are feeling upset. About 25% said they banged their head or another body part or did something like biting themselves, cutting themselves, or pulling their own hair.

Kids usually do this because they get so angry or upset that they don't know what to do. They might feel mad or frustrated and feel like taking it out on themselves. It can be an impulse — something a person does almost without thinking. You probably already know that this doesn't solve the problem. Even worse, a kid could get injured.

If you've ever hurt yourself, try taking these steps next time instead.

• Talk to a parent.
• Call a friend.
• Drink a glass of water.
• Take a shower.
• Go outside and play.
• Watch TV.
• Play with a pet.
• Draw, scribble, or color designs on paper.
• Rip up some paper.
• Listen to music that will shift your mood.

If you know someone who hurts himself or herself when upset, tell a grown-up so the kid can learn how to stop doing this.

Sometimes, kids have seen adults take their anger out on themselves or on someone else. Of course, they shouldn't — but sometimes grown-ups make mistakes, too. When adults yell or scream or hit a wall, they set a bad example for kids who need to learn to control their own tempers. Kids might imitate adults who do this and not realize there are other ways to cope with stressful feelings. The good news is that adults can learn new things, too. It's never too late to manage your temper.

Parents Can Be Key

Only about 1 in 5 kids said they talk to a parent when they're upset, but a whopping 75% of kids said they'd like their parents to help them in times of stress. Here's how kids said parents could help:

• Talk together.
• Help them feel better, like with a hug.
• Give them attention; do something together.
• Help them solve the problem.
• Stop yelling.
• Don't make them feel worse.
• Help get their minds off the problem.
• Pray with them.

Sometimes parents might feel like kids don't want them to get involved. That's why it's good to talk to a parent — even if all you want to say is that this problem is going on and that you'd like to try to solve it on your own. More often, you might want your mom or dad to offer ideas or at least a little encouragement.

You can return the favor by being extra nice to your mom or dad the next time he or she is feeling stressed out. You could draw a card, give an extra hug, or clean your room without being asked. Then your parent may be too surprised to feel stressed!

What's a KidsPoll?

To get this information about kids and stress, we conducted a KidsPoll. This means we asked an equal number of boys and girls a bunch of questions about stress. They answered the questions on handheld data devices while visiting these health education centers and children's museums:

• HealthWorks! Kids Museum — South Bend, Indiana
• Health World Children's Museum — Barrington, Illinois
• Poe Center for Health Education — Raleigh, North Carolina
• Robert Crown Center for Health Education — Hinsdale, Illinois
• Ruth Lilly Health Education Center — Indianapolis, Indiana
• Susan P. Byrnes Health Education Center — York, Pennsylvania

A poll, like the KidsPoll, gives researchers a bunch of information to look at. Instead of knowing how just a few people feel, they know how a lot of people feel. They can look at the way the entire group answered. They calculate how many — or what percentage — answered "yes" to this question and "no" to that one. Polls give us clues about how most people — not just the ones who answered the poll questions — feel about certain issues.